(h^^JUfjr^.^^ 


\^         [^oL'sfc  Bill.] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  Dec:  28,   1863.— Read  first 
and  second  times,  laid  on  the  table  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

[By  Mr.  Oi.apk] 


A.    J3ILL 

To  be  entitled  an  Act  to  provide  Ur  wounded  and  disabled  officers  and 
soldiers  an  asylum  to  be  called  "The  Veteran  Soldiers  Home." 

1  Section  1 .   Tht  CongTe^s  of  the  Confederate  States  of  Amci  ica  do 

2  CTMct,  That  in  order  to  make  a  just  and   adequate   provision  for 

3  the  maintenance  and  comfort  of  officers  and  soldiers  or  seamen, 

4  Avho  have  been  or  may  be  disabled  by  wounds  received,  or  disease 
6  contracted  in  the  military  or  naval  service  of  the  Confederate 
6  States,  during  the  pending  war.  the  sum  of 

'*  dollars  be.  and  the  same  is  hereby,  appropri- 

8  ated  to  be  expended,  or  s(»  much  thereof  as  may  be  necessary,  by 

9  the  Secretary  of  War.  under  the  approval  and  direction   of  the 

10  President,  in  the   lease   or  purchase  of  some   safe   and   suitable 

1 1  location  for  an  asylum  to  be  called  *'The  Veteran  Soldiers  Home, 

12  and  for  the  erection  and  furnishing  of  such  buildings  and  fixtures 

13  as  the  probable  number  of  inmates  may  render  necessary  ;  and 


2 

1-4  in  order   that  the  several  Confederate  States  and  the  citizens, 

15  thereof,  may  have  the  opportunity  of  becoming  identified  with 

16  this  philanthropic  and  patriotic  enterprise,  and  of  participating 

17  in  the  pleasing  and  grateful  duty  of  contributing  to  the  relief  of 

18  those  who  have  perilled  all,  and  have  been  disabled  in  the  service 

19  of  their  country.     It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 

20  immediately  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  to  invite  the  aid  and 

21  co-operation   of  said   states,   through   the  respective  Governors 

22  thereof,  and  to  request  the  appointment  of  one  person  on  behalf 

23  of  each  State,  as  a  manager  of  the  institution  hereby  established; 

24  and  the  several  persons  so  appointed,  shall,  as  soon  as  practicable, 

25  assemble  at  seme  time  and  place,  to  be  designated  by  the  Secre- 

26  tary  of  War,  and  organize  themselves  into  a  board  of  managers 

27  by  the  election  of  a  president  and  other  necessary  officers,  with 

28  such  compensation  as  the  board  may  deem  adequate,  and  a  majori- 

29  ty  of  the  persons  composing  said  board  shall  constitute  a  quorum 

30  for  the  transaction  of  business.     They   shall  continue   in  office 

31  for  the  period  of  two  years  from  the  date  of  their  appointment, 

32  and  until  their  successors  are  in  like  manner  appointed,  and  sub- 

33  ject  to  the  general   approval   and    direction   of  the  Secretary,  of 

34  War,      They  shall  have  the  management  and  control  of  said  insti- 

35  tution,  and  the  power  to  make  all  requisite  rules  and  regulations 

36  therefor,  including  the  appointment  of  stewards  and  nurses,  the 

37  organizing    a  police    force   and    other   necessary   arrangements- 


38  Upon  their  recconmeDdation  and  application,  the  proper  authori- 

39  lies  i-hail  appoint  or  assign  for  duty,  at  said    institution,  a  com- 

40  misfary,  ^vho  shall  provide  needful    supplies   for   the   same,    on 
<11  Go\eument  actount,  end  such  Mugeons  and  assistatf^urgecnp, 

42  in  the  pay  of  iht  Gcvernment,  as  the  -wants  of  the  institutiofk  may 

43  require,  or  as  ni.iy  1)0  necessary  for   the' skilful   and    succegsful 

44  m;ui?gin;tnt  of  an  infiiuiaiy,  Avhich  the  hoard  may  ettahlish  as  a 

45  pyitof  ihe  institution,    for    the    benefit    of  all    those   invalids, 

46  solcitis  or  seamen,  uho  n.oy  need  the  repose  snd  treatment furn- 

47  ii-hcd  ihertin,  logeiher  with    all    other   persons    of  said    classes, 

48  -whose  Avounds,  fum  hasty  field  operations,  require    further  sur- 

49  gical  fctttntion  ;  ar.d  the  Suigeon  General  shall  be   authorized  to 
61)  ii]  pcint  the  most  skillful  surgeons  to  discharge  the  duties  of  said 

51  iiifiin.njy.     They  shall  adopt  such   measure  as   they    may  deem 

52  best  fcr  obtaining  contribution.-^  ficm  individuals   desiring  to  aid 

53  the  cntirpiise,  and  shall  preserve  a  registry,  -which  shall  be  kept 

54  optn  to  public  inspection,  of  the  names  of  such  contributors  and 

55  the  amount  contributed  by  each,  and,  also,  all  donations  received 

56  from  the  several  state  governments. 

1  fc^tc.  2.   Qhe  funds  of  the  institution   shall  be  placed  in    the 

,2  ha'nds  of  a  trea#rer,  to  bo  elected  by  the  Ecard,  who,  before 

3  assuming  the  duties  of  his  cffice,  shall  enter  into  a  bond   and 

4  sccuiit}  for  the  laithful  pufcimance  theieof, -which  bond  shall  be 

5  r.ppioAed  by  the  Ecard  of  ?-.'anagers,  and  made  payable  to  said 

6  board  and  their  successcvs  in  tffce,  and  fcay  by  them,  for  any 

7  infiacticn  of  the  same,  be  put  in  suit  in  any  Stale  or  Confederate 

8  Counhavinc  juiisdictio'n  of  the  amount.     The  said  funds,  subject 

9  to  the  gtnt)al  r>]proval  of  the  Fcciclaiy  of  "War,  as  aforesaid, 
10  shall  be  cxp(n<\u  l.y  the  Ecard  cf  Managers  in  the  erection  of 

11  such  Itilcbr.^s,  f.xtuies  snd  appurtenances  as  may  le  necessary, 

12  {ir.d  in  p)c\idirg  fci  svch  rgiicultuial,  hoiticultuial,  mechanical 

13  or  other  enplerment  or  pirsuit,  as  the  -wants  of  the  institution 


14  or  the  comfort  and  reci-eation  of  the  inmites  may  suf^gest.     The 

15  said  board  shall,  before  the  asssembling  of  each  regular  sessioa 

16  of  Congress,  submit  a  report  of  the  conditioti  and  state  of  affairs 

17  of  the  institution  to  the  Secretary  of  W<i,r,  which  it  shall  be  his 

18  duty  to  communicate  to  Congress. 

1  Sec.  3.  The  beneficiaries  of  said  institution,  \y\\o  shall  he  en- 

3  titled  to  become  inmates  of  the  same,  shall  be  all   commissioned 

3  and  non-commissioned   odi'er;;.   musician-;    and    private  soldiers 

4  and  seamen,  who  have  been,  or  who  may  hereafter  be,  retired  or  dis- 

5  charged,  by  reason   of  wounds  or  injuries  received,   or   disease 

6  contr.ictcd  in  the  militiry  or  n aval   service  of   the  Coufed/ratc 

7  States,  in  the    line  of   their  duty,  during  the  pending  war  ;  and. 

8  any  person  claiming  the  benefit  of  this  act  shiill  present  his  ap- 

9  plication   in   the  manner  proscribed   hj  the  Board,  of  Managers, 
II)  and  shall,  if  admitted,  be  subject  to  all  of  the  rale.-;  and  regulations 

11  of  the  institution   so  long  as  he  remains  an  inm^^te  thereof.     lie 

12  shall,  iit  the  time  of  his  admittance,  deposit  with  such   person  as 

13  maybe  designated  by  the  Board  of  Managers,  all  certificates  and 
H  other  papers  relating  to  his  discharge  from  the  service,  and  en- 
15  titling  him  to  future  pay  or  compensation  from  tlie  (government 
IG  as  a  retired  or  discharged  officer,  soldier  or  seamen,  which  said 
17  pay  or  compensation  shall,  during  tlie  time  of  his  continuance  in 
IS  the  institution,  be  paid  by  the  disbursing  officer,  making   such 

19  payments  t~'  the  treasurer  of  the  institution,  and  shall  constitute 

20  a  part  of  the  general  fund  of  the  sam'j,  except  so  much  thereof 

21  as  the  Board  of  Managers  may  direct   to   be  p  id,   from  time- to 

22  time,  to  the  person  in  whose  right  it  is  receiveil. 

1  Sec.  4    Any  beneficiary  of  said  institution  may  discontinue  his 

2  connection    therewith  at  his  option,  and  upon  withdrav/ing  from 

3  the  same,  shall  b^  entitled  to  withdraw,  also,  all   certificates  and 

4  other  papers  deposited  by  him  at  the  time  of  his  admittance,  and 

5  shall  be  remitted  to  all  the  rights  and  bcrr  Hts  seen  rod  thereby. 


